Mail-bag-delivery apparatus.



.NO 850,588. PATENTED APR. 16; 1907 D. F. LAHMANQ MAIL BAG DELIVERY APPARATUS.

- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5,1907.

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I PATENTED APR. 16', 1907. D. P. LAHMAN.. MAIL BAG DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-5,1907.

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no. 850,588; PATENTED APR. 1

- -n. F. LAHMAN. MAIL BAG DELIVERY APPARATUS.

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MAlL-BAG -DELIVERY APPAHATU$n Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907,

Application filed March 6, 1907. Serial No. 860,636-

cars, and has for its object to provide an im 1 proved flppfllftbUS of this kind which will operate with a car going in either direction.

A further object is to provide a receiver which will yield upon catching the bag and gradually stop it, thus preventing injury to the bag and its contents.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 h is an elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the de ivery-arm, showing its operative position when the car'is traveling in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the position of the delivery-arm when the car is traveling in the opposite direction. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 indicates the receiver, which will be positioned on the station-platform or other suitable locality in close proximity to the track, so as to receive the mail-bag from the moving car, which indicated at 11. The receiver comprises a supporting-frame having end walls 12 and 13, respectively, connected by side braces 14. The end walls are forked on top, as at 15, to admit the mail-bag, as hereinafter described, and connected to and eX tending between the end walls are horizontally-disposed parallel bars 16 and 17, forming a track on. which a carriage slides. The carriage comprises blocks 18, having longitudinal openings to receive the bars 16 and 17, and the blocks are connected. on top by a cross-piece 19.

On top of the cross piece 19. are pivoted, as at 20, segments 21 and 22, respectively, having teeth 23, which mesh with a rack-bar 24, having teeth on both sides to mesh with the teeth 23. The rack-bar is slidable lengthwise on the cross-bar 19 and has a guide-slot 25 to receive pins 26, extending from the cross-bar. The segments have extensions '27, which form jaws, for a purpose to be hereinafter descr bed. The ends of the rackbar are slightly concave, as indicated at 28. Each of the jaws 27 is connected by a spring 28 with the rack-bar 24, whereby they are normally held open.

From the blocks 13 depend. hangers 29, which carry a basket or other receptacle 30 to receive the mail-bag. On the bottom of said receptacle is a slide-block 31, which. is mounted on a guide-rod 32, secured to the walls 12 and 13 and extending therebetween. The carriage is normally held at or about the middle of the bars 16 and 17 by butlersprings 33, which are coiled around said bars between the blocks 18 and the end walls 12 and 13.

prises a horiZontally-swinging delivery-arm 34, having a head, 35, which is pivoted at 36 between knuckles 37 on a base-block 38, which is bolted or otherwise secured, as at 39, to the wall of the car on the inside thereof adjacent the doorway. On the outer end of the arm 34 is a cross-bar, on top of which are secured spring-clips 40 and 10*, respectively, for holding the mail-bag. Either of these clips may be used to hold the mail-bag, according to the direction in which. the car is traveling. Adjacent the knuckles the baseblock has a shoulder 11 for limiting the outward swing of the arm 34. From the head 35 projects a hand-lover 41.3 for swinging the arm into and out of the car. In line with the space between the knuckles the bracket 38 is recessed, as at 49, to receive the lever 48 shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7.

The operation of the appara 15s is as follows: The delivery-arin is swung into the car and the mail-bag 50 is placed, on the crossbar 39 under the spring-clip 40 if the car is traveling in the direction of the arrow in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. Upon reaching the station where the bag is to be delivered the arm 34 is swung outside the car by means of the h and.- lever 48, its outward swing being liinited by the shoulder 47. The bag is now in position for delivery to the basket 30. The bag enters the supporting-frame through the opening in the end wall 13, and upon striking the concave end of the rack-bar said bar will be pushed forward. By reason of the engagement of the teeth of the rack-bar with the teeth of the segments the latter will be caused when the arm 34 is swung inside the car, as

The apparatus carried by the car 11 comto swing on their pivots, thereby bringing the jaws 27 together behind the bag. By the continued movement of the ear, the bag will be pulled off the delivery-arm, after which it will drop into the basket 30. the bag against the rack-bar 24 will slide the carriage along the bars 16 and 17, this movement being gradually stopped by the action of the springs behind the blocks 18. This cushions the blow and prevents injury to the bag and the apparatus. As the basket moves with the carriage, the deposit of the bag into the former is assured.

In order that the delivery-arm may be used when the car is traveling in either direction, I i

provide the following means: In the knuckles 37 are alined openings 51, through which a pin 52 may be inserted. This pin is carried by a chain 53, attached to the base-block 38. When not in use, the pin may be stuck into a hole 54 in said block. The operation of the pin is clearly illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. In these views the mail-bag is shown under the clip 40 and the car is SLPPOSGC]. to be traveling in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6. The pin 52 is inserted in the openings 51,.so as to extend through a notch 55 in the head 35. This holds the delivery-arm rigid and opposes the tendency to swing back into the car, due to the pull on the arm by the removal of the bag. The bag enters the supporting-frame through the opening in the end wall 12 and is released in the same manner, as heretofore described. Upon taking out the pin 52 the delivery-arm can be swung back into the car and reloaded for the next station.

I claim- 1. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, a horizontally-swinging delivery-arm carried by the car, bag-holding means on the arm, and stops engageable by the delivery-arm to oppose the pull thereon upon removal of the bag from said arm, said stops operating with the car traveling in either direction.

2. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, a horizontally-swinging deliveryarm carried by the car, bag-holding means on the deliveryarm, a stop engageable by the delivery-arm to oppose the pull thereon upon removal of The impact of the bag from said arm with the ear traveling in one direction, and aremovable stop engageable by the arm for the same purpose when the ear is traveling in the opposite direction.

3. In a mailbag-delivery apparatus, a yielding receiver, and means operable by the impact of the bag to release the same.

4. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, a receiver comprising a supporting frame, a basket slidably mounted thereon, and yielding stops for the basket.

5. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, a receiver comprising a supporting frame, a basket slidably mounted thereon, and bagreleasing means movable with the basket.

6. In a mail-bagdelivery apparatus, a re ceiver comprising a supporting frame, a track thereon, a carriage mounted on the track and having a bag-receptacle, jaws pivoted to the carriage, and means operable by the impact of the bag to close the jaws around the same.

7. In a mailbag-delivery apparatus, a receiver comprising a supporting frame, a track thereon, a carriage slidable on the track and having a bag-receptacle, a rack-bar slidably mounted on the carriage and having its ends in the path of the bag, and bag-holding jaws geared to the rack-bar and operable by the impact of the bag thereagainst.

8. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, a receiver comprising a supporting-frame, a track thereon, a carriage slidable on the track and having a bag receptacle, a rack-bar slidably mounted on the carriage and having its ends in the path of the bag, segment-gears meshing with the rack-bar, and jaws on the segment-gears operable by the impact of the gag against the rack-bar to close around the 9. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, a re ceiver comprising an overhead track, a carriage mounted on the track, a bag-reeeptacle suspended from the carriage, and bagreleasing means on the carriage operable by the impact of the bag thereagainst.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL F. LAHMAN.

lVitnesses:

J. L. 'HOTT, CHAS. REXWOOD. 

